


BTS - Reaching Seoul (V x Cassandra)

by Insfiringyou



Series: Headcanon Masterlist [99]
Category: K-pop, bts, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Angst, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:34:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24900892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Insfiringyou/pseuds/Insfiringyou
Summary: Warnings for mature, adult themes that some readers may find upsetting or uncomfortable to read and for descriptions of panic attacks.This fic is set around 7 months after Taehyung and Cassandra break up and he enters the military, but also references the events that have since taken place. We recommend before reading, to make sure you have read his headcanon fics to date to understand the contextFind V's fics listed in order here: https://insfiringyou.tumblr.com/post/185247588746/bts-vs-headcanon-universe-ficsYou also may wish to follow us on Tumblr to see our works first including original art of the member's girlfriends:https://insfiringyou.tumblr.com/post/186757079501/bts-masterlist-fanfiction-scenarios-and
Relationships: Kim Taehyung | V/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Headcanon Masterlist [99]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1237379
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	BTS - Reaching Seoul (V x Cassandra)

The music surrounding Taehyung was loud, almost oppressive as it blared from the car speakers; a climatic opera number he had found while blindly fumbling through the stations and the scratchy, static in the background an indicator it had been recorded long ago. He welcomed its heaviness as he watched the road; the luminescent strips starting to blur as he accelerated, the display on his dashboard showing he was approaching the speed limit for the freeway. It was almost deserted at this time of night and he was thankful for the lack of traffic- it would allow him to reach the city faster. He had left the base as soon as his duties were over and the rental had been arranged for the next few days.Thankfully, the car was new and didn’t struggle with speed. His foot began to ache from lack of practice, but he couldn’t bring himself to switch to the cruise function. He needed to feel the urgency in his body; desperate to let out some of the frustration the Italian opera was not quite reaching. 

He had been waiting patiently for two weeks, keeping his inner turmoil in check by knowing if he played up now, his vacation would not be granted. But it had been hard. He had bitten his tongue on a number of occasions when confronted by his superiors, reminding himself to nod politely and walk away when he felt he was going to over boil. The phone conversation started to seem like it had taken place an eternity ago and, as he lay awake at night in the chilly dorm, he began to question whether it had even happened; whether Ji-eun’s impromptu late-night call to his base had all been some elaborate and masochistic dream. He had asked for holiday time the following morning, trying to hide the sense of urgency he felt and the tremor in his low voice. Two weeks was too long, but it was the best they could do, and so began his long and slow torture. 

Blinking his eyes, he noticed the orange-white glare of the road lamps had started to streak across the windshield, the navy sky beyond slowly beginning to lighten as dawn approached. Without thinking, he flipped on his wipers, watching them move back and forth a few times before realising the strange strips of lights were not caused by the rain, but his own tears. His vision blurred and he slammed his hands angrily against the steering wheel as he let out a sob, welcoming the sharp sting in his palms. The song had already transitioned into another; the soft, lull of a female voice singing in French resonating in his chest and making it ache unpleasantly. He snapped off the radio, almost twisting the dial out of the dashboard. He would have to make a stop at the next service station, he realised with annoyance; he had been driving for too long and solely on adrenaline. What he really needed was some sleep, but he pushed the thought of a warm, comforting bed to the back of his mind. If he stopped to rest now, he wouldn’t make it to Seoul until the following afternoon and he knew he would sleep through his alarm until his exhausted body awoke itself naturally. 

Little more than ten minutes later, he indicated the change in lanes as he followed the signs to the next set of services. The neon board at the entrance to the parking lot listed the number of takeaway food stations and mini markets available, along with the nightly prices of the small motel situated at the back. A few trucks and transit vans lined one side of the space, and he parked clumsily in the opposite corner, walking the small distance to the entrance of the enclosed centre. He made a beeline for the bathroom and emptied his bladder, catching his reflection in the mirror above the basin as he washed his hands. His eyes were swollen and puffy, though he had managed to bite back the tears before they had truly started to fall back in the car, and his cheekbones protruded a little more severely in his sallow face. He looked unfamiliar, even to himself; his shortly-cropped black hair pronouncing the outline of his forehead, and his jawline firmly set, clenching in his skull. The last two weeks had clearly taken its toll, his appetite lost and unable to sleep for more than a few hours at a time as his head raced with thoughts. The day after Ji-eun’s call, he had once more tried the cell whose number he memorised clearly, to no answer. It didn’t surprise him, but his chest had ached nonetheless. 

The shuffling of feet alerted him to the fact he was no longer alone and he pulled away from the tap, his hands a little unsteady as he dried them with a paper towel and inadvertently locking eyes with the young stranger who had entered the restroom.

“Hey…you look familiar.” The other man called. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?”

Taehyung looked around, a little startled. “Me?” He asked, pointing to his chest. “I don’t think so…”

There was no one else in line at the small coffee stall and he paid with change, taking a seat in the empty dining area for a ten minute rest and blowing cool air through the lid of his takeaway cup. The overhead strip lights were stark and made everyone look a little ill. He observed a few people coming and going through the entrance, mostly heading for the bathrooms in a silent, lethargic lull, before heading back to their vehicles. There was a particular, sunken-eyed look to all of them that Taehyung felt deep in his bones and, just for a moment, he seemed to feel the room swim away from him; the loud sound of his own heartbeat ringing in his ears. Clutching his warm cup between both hands, he quickly calmed down, the moment passing as quickly as it had come. If anyone passing by had noticed the tense change in his posture, or the way his face had paled, they didn’t make eye contact. He contemplated whether he should get something to eat from the almost-deserted noodle place on the opposite end of the complex, before deciding against it. He probably wouldn’t be able to finish it anyway. 

Taehyung got up slowly, being careful in case that strange wave of panic washed over him again, before tucking the plastic chair he had been sitting at underneath the round table. It felt just as uncomfortable as it looked, and his back ached a little as he made his way slowly back to the rented car, drinking his coffee in a few, hard gulps. The warmth hit his stomach, waking him up as he fumbled one handed in his pockets for the car keys, the light rain drizzling onto his cheeks and thin jacket. His digits felt along the plastic outline of the fob and he slipped them from his jeans as another wave washed over him; making him feel simultaneously hot and cold as his eyes blurred and his heart began to race. 

Pushing the automatic unlock, he dropped the now-empty coffee cup onto the tarmac and stumbled onto the back seat, tugging at the door to close it and laying outstretched across the leather seats as he struggled to catch his breath. It felt as though the air had been sucked from his lungs and his fingertips tingled unpleasantly. Clutching his chest, he waited for it to pass, trying to control his breathing; knowing that while he couldn’t feel it, the steady rise and fall of his chest indicated he was. He concentrated on taking deeper breaths from his stomach, as Yoongi had once taught him, pressing his other palm against his covered stomach to feel its movement. Eventually, watching the sky lighten to a bruised blue through the tinted windows, he felt his heartbeat slow and, with relief, could breathe again. 

He was exhausted; limbs aching as though he had just performed an entire show, and his head foggy. Slowly, he rolled onto his side, meaning, despite his better judgement, to crawl into the front seat and continue the drive. He closed his eyes gently; it would just take a moment… But, without realising it, he had already fallen asleep.

The air was cold and he clutched his arms to his torso, wrapping them around himself as he shivered and wondered where he was. The fabric beneath his cheek was tacky, feeling strange and he frowned to himself, before the memory came flooding back. He didn’t know how long he had been out for, but the sunlight now glared disturbingly from the car window as one eye crept open. The backseat wasn’t quite long enough for him to stretch out comfortably, but he turned over groggily, shifting his weight onto his other side as he mustered the energy to move.

His mind turned, unsurprisingly, to Cassandra and it occurred to him he had thought of little else in recent days. Her hair shining in the soft, afternoon light seven months ago when he had last seen her, and before that, in the comforting glow of her dressing room on the day they met. Her hair and nipples were the colour of cherries, and his hands had roamed across them both; his fingers unfastening the sheer, organza fabric of her dress as his lips met her throat. She had gasped beneath him, her voice musical with the hint of an accent just detectable. “I’m guessing you enjoyed the play…” The flowers had occurred to him as he sat in the theatre, his centre-aisle seat giving him the perfect view of the small stage. The room was half-empty, but the young woman on stage held herself with such dignity and grace; she could have been playing a sold-out show in Stratford Upon Avon, the birthplace of the man credited to the lines she so lovingly spoke. Taehyung hadn’t expected her to follow him into the foyer after the show and invite him back to her dressing room; the playful and slightly bemused look in her eyes indicating that she too wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. Their passion, however, was mutual. Their mouths met heatedly as soon as she closed the door behind them, her hands grasping for the other’s shoulders and waist as he spun her around and lifted her onto the dressing room table, one palm sliding along her exposed thigh, under her costume. He had told her how beautiful she was as he held her face in his palm, the other clutching a handful of her wavy hair to meet her gaze breathlessly. “I’m glad you think so…” Her reply held a lot of tension and he broke it by moving down and pressing his hot tongue to her nipple and closing his mouth firmly around the bud before moving to the other. She had reached for his belt as he sucked her nipples but he stopped her, gently wrapping his fingers around her own as he pulled away. “Not like this…” He whispered against her lips. She seemed ethereal, otherworldly; her dress sparkling in the dim glow cast by the lamp in the corner and her hair disheveled, tangled around the intricate metalwork of her hair grip. Although he wanted her; his cock ached so fiercely as it strained against his tight pants; fucking her here against the dresser, having ony known her for half an hour, would have been almost blasphemous. Her digits moved to the open bodice of her dress, nimbly fastening the buttons which ran down the centre and he watched, eyes dark, as she slipped her large breasts beneath the fabric, covering them once more. “How about dinner?” She suggested, locking eyes flirtatiously; cheeks stained red with a blush. 

In the car, Taehyung became aware he was once more seated behind the wheel, the bittersweet memory of that first meeting having taken over his thoughts for an unknown stretch of time. Switching on the engine, the digital readout on the dash informed him he had slept for over two hours and, if the satnav was correct, he would arrive at his destination in little over an hour, traffic depending. The nap had cleared his head, and he felt the calmest he had in days as he removed the handbrake and fastened his seatbelt, slowly turning the car around to join the long highway into Seoul. 

As luck had it, he managed to navigate the narrower road within the inner city without much congestion, eventually finding himself downtown and driving along familiar streets, until the little screen on his dashboard chimed, telling him he had reached his destination. As expected, it was slightly off, and he pulled down the final road nervously, cruising past the apartment buildings until he found the one he was looking for. Twisting the key in the ignition, he was still for a moment, gazing out of his windshield at the building and wondering whether he had made a terrible mistake coming here. Ji-eun had sounded anxious on the phone, and he could almost picture her biting her lip as they spoke, knowing she shouldn’t be talking to him. Whether she truly had his best interests at heart was another matter, but whatever her reason, he was glad she had called. 

His hand hovered over the intercom, suddenly realising that while he had gotten this far, he did not know whether he would be able to get into the building, before he noticed the front door had not quite latched. Whoever had last entered or left the building, probably going out for a quick smoke or walk around the block, had failed to test the door handle before setting off. Briefly, he wondered whether Cassandra was still vaping, and hoped not. Entering the hallway, he made sure to close the door behind him, before climbing the stairs. The apartment he used to inhabit was in the loft, trapping heat terribly in the summer months and freezing in the winter, and a stab of concern washed through him at the thought of her here, with colder weather approaching, but he pushed it away. After all, there was no guarantee Ji-eun was telling the truth, no matter how honest she had sounded on the phone. The thought occurred to him, as he spoke to her, that she might have felt bad for what happened at the dinner; that she saw this confession as some kind of repentance. She had sounded sober enough at least.

He hesitated on the top step, the familiar sight of the apartment door before him, the number glaring back at him as his fist sought the wood. He tried to reason with himself; the last time he had been here, a few months before, his knocks had been met with silence, and it was more than likely he would find the apartment empty once more. He wished he had kept his set of keys, in cases of emergency, but knew he would be too hesitant to use them. Taking a deep breath, he rattled his knuckles against the door, a little louder than he was meaning to, before silence once more fell over the landing. Standing still, he waited a moment, before trying again, a little impatient. 

“I’m coming!” 

The familiar voice on the other side made his heart leap and stomach churn, hardly believing it was true, until she called again. “Who is it?” He heard the sound of the latch being unfastened and the door crept forward a few inches before he had time to reply. Usually, he would have scolded her for answering to strangers; that it wasn’t safe, but he found himself thankful this time as she came into view; her expression unreadable for a moment before her eyes widened in their sockets. He could see he’d disturbed her morning routine; her hair, now back to its natural dark brown, was tied messily on top on her head, the ends wet from the shower and he could just glimpse the navy satin of a dressing gown tied around her. Her complexion was bare and a little blotchy, cheeks swollen from the steam. 

“Tae…” She breathed quietly as her eyes roamed over him in disbelief. “You can’t be here…” There was a panicked edge to her voice, one which made his chest sink, but he pushed gently on the wood regardless. He needed to see her. She backed away, unable to protest, as the door swung open and he entered the apartment, closing it behind himself as she silently edged towards the round dining table in the centre of the room. Several cardboard boxes lined the edge of the open plan space, filled with kitchenware and clothes, and the colourful rug Ara had once bought her was rolled up in one corner, propped against the papered wall, but otherwise the studio looked as it had the last time he had been here, almost a year before. A steaming bowl of porridge sat on the countertop in the kitchen; another sign she had been interrupted, and his brown eyes roamed over all these things, before settling on what he had come here to see, unable to help the rising nerves as his suspicions were confirmed. Cassandra watched him in silence, arms hanging loosely at her sides, unable to speak. 

“Is it mine?” He eventually whispered, heart thudding. Her gown was tied loosely over her otherwise nude body; the edges of her breasts just visible in the deep crevice down the front and, below the tied belt, the obvious strain of her stomach against the smooth material. Though he had prepared for it, the change in her was shocking. When she didn’t reply, he took a step forward, making her flinch. “Cass?” He kept his voice low, soft, though he didn’t think he would have been able to say it any other way even if he wanted to. He knew, if it was, that it had been the result of their final time together, seven months before. Looking at how big she was now, it seemed likely. 

Slowly, she nodded and he watched her gaze fall to the floor. 

His pulse picked up speed for the third time that day. He could hear it ringing in his ears, his cheeks growing uncomfortably warm and palms getting clammy. Even with Ji-eun’s warning, it was too much to take in and her silence only added to the surrealness he felt, standing here. 

“You weren’t going to tell me?” He asked, his voice straining. 

She looked up. “I didn’t know how.” She murmured quietly. 

“What do you mean, you didn’t know?” 

She shook her head, more to herself than to him. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this…”

He took another deep breath, trying to control his rising frustration. “Then how was it supposed to happen?” 

A thought seemed to occur to her, and her brow furrowed deeply. “Ji-eun wasn’t supposed to talk to you.” 

He could hear the pang of hurt in her voice at the apparent betrayal but, beneath that he sensed she was not surprised. A part of him wondered whether she had known this would happen; whether it had been a subconscious choice on her part to let the older woman know, knowing it would eventually get back to him. He tried not to read too much into this, instead focusing on what she was saying. “Why wouldn’t you want her to talk to me?”

Her voice came out weak. “I didn’t know how you would take it…”

He couldn’t help the rise in his tone as he shook his head in disbelief. He had been sitting on this information for two weeks, unable to bring himself to question or tell the other members over the phone and instead stewing in his own agony as he quietly went about his daily tasks, knowing that if he slipped up and he couldn’t get the time off, he wouldn’t know for sure until it was too late. 

“I’m the father Cassandra!” The words felt strange in his mouth as they tumbled out loudly. Her entire body trembled and she raised her fingers to her lips, covering them as though trying to stifle a sob. He took another breath of air, his rising anxiety now under control, and making a point to lower his voice before continuing. “Ji-eun told me you’d gone back to Belgium…That you were seeing somebody else.” The bitter memory of the reunion dinner was still fresh in his mind; the other woman drunk, but him perfectly sober as she told him this news, and recalled how hurt he had felt.

Her lip quivered beneath her hand, which she lowered to her side. “I was…”

He felt his stomach drop; the pain he had felt on that day resurfacing and, adding to that, the fresh implication of what this meant. “So you were just going to let another man raise my child?” He asked indignantly. 

“It wasn’t going to be like that…” She suddenly cried, clutching her palm to her face once more as the sob she had been holding back finally came out. He watched her silently as she broke down, hand clasped to her mouth as her shoulders heaved beneath her oversized gown. The truth finally dawned on him and, for the first time in weeks, he finally understood what she had been meaning to do. 

He opened his mouth a few times, lips gaping pathetically until he found the words to speak. “You were going to have an abortion?” He asked breathlessly. “You went to Europe to have an abortion, is that it?”

Her cheeks were wet and red as she sobbed harder, moving her hand away to answer him feebly. “I wasn’t ready to have a baby…”

His gaze once more flickered to the rising bump; to the life growing inside her that he couldn’t quite wrap his head around yet, but that he knew he had a part in making. He felt an unexpected stab in his chest at the thought, suddenly feeling nauseous. Had it always been so warm in the apartment? Hadn’t he been worried she would freeze to death in the winter? 

“You weren’t even going to ask me what I thought? How I felt?” He choked as another thought occurred to him, his mind once more recalling the conversation which had taken place several months prior, on his last vacation. “Did Ji-eun know?”

On this she seemed certain, answering straight away as she looked at him with hazy, wet eyes. “No…not until I came back.”

“You swear?” He challenged, watching the tears roll down her cheeks. It hurt him to see her like this, to know he was making her upset, but he seemed unable to stop himself. 

“Yes, I swear.” She shouted, letting out another sob as she looked at him beneath wet eyelashes. “Maybe you should take a fucking look at yourself, Tae….” She continued, almost shrieking. “Take a look at yourself and then ask why I didn’t tell you.” She saw him take a step back, observed the look of deep hurt on his face and let out a small laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. “You aren’t fucking ready for this either.” She sighed, wiping her face messily on the back of her hand as she slowly calmed down. He was stunned into silence, her accusation, and the truth behind it, taking root. “I’m sorry…” She murmured quietly, chest heaving. “I didn’t mean to.”

He looked at her solemnly. “Yes you did.” He mumbled, voice equally low as he regained his thoughts. “So why didn’t you go through with it?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know…” Meeting his gaze, she squared with him. “Please don’t look at me like that…” 

“I’m sorry.” He admitted, suddenly realising how he had behaved, and how this scene would look to an outsider. Her tears had finally stopped but the fact he had caused them still remained; the fact he had made the woman he was supposed to love, the woman seven months pregnant with his child, sobbing and stressed. She didn’t back away as he closed the space between them, looking down at her, at the gentle curves of her body which pressed against the garment she was wearing. Her eyes never left his face, watching his expression change as it roamed over her midriff, as though truly seeing it for the first time. 

“Please…” He whispered, making her breath hitch in her throat as he slowly reached out, giving her time to protest, before laying his palm flat against her covered stomach. She closed her eyes, the sensation of movement inside her familiar, but knowing it was his first time experiencing it. 

“Fuck…” He choked, lips parting in disbelief as he felt along her bump, his touch gentle and loving as he stared at her body, as though trying to picture the baby inside. She felt his fingers skim the edge of the fabric, where the seams met in the middle, and opened her eyes as he moved beneath her dressing gown, seeking skin. She allowed him to touch, watching as he uncovered her in awe; his palm moving over the deep grooves of stretch marks and the protruding nub of her bellybutton as he moved upwards, seeking the tie which held the gown together. 

He fingered at the material, leaving her stomach to unknot the belt carefully. Cassandra felt as though she hadn’t breathed in the past few minutes as she let him undress her silently, feeling him slip the wide, silky sleeves from her shoulders and arms and hearing the soft patter as it hit the wooden floor. His pupils were wide, eyes dark, as he took her in and she stayed still; watching his eyes roam across her, lingering for a moment of her engorged breasts and the large, darkened buds of her nipples.

“You’re so swollen Cass.” He uttered breathlessly and she could hear the longing in his voice; could see how beautiful he was finding her as she watched his expression change. She took his hand in hers, moving it back to the naked roundness of her bump. 

“It’s a boy…” She said softly, placing her warm hand on top of his. “I had the scan back in Antwerp.” She confessed as his lips opened, stunned for a moment, before smiling. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen it, and it made her ache. 

“A boy…” He repeated, in a wonderstruck daze. “I can’t believe it…”

Cassandra looked down, moving her other hand to feel along the bump with a small grin. “He’s healthy. Just the right size.”

They both looked up at the same time, meeting each other’s gaze with a shared sense of relief, before he pressed his lips to hers chastely, pecking her once, softly, before pulling away. His fingers gently curled in her dark, wavy hair while the other remained on her pregnant stomach, holding her close to him as he pressed his forehead to hers.

“We can do this Cass…” He whispered, his breath warm against her face and lips. “We can.” He promised. “We can do this!” For the first time since hearing the news, he believed his own words, his chest and stomach fluttering pleasantly with butterflies. He had never felt this way before…both nervous and excited and, ignoring her silence, unwrapped his digits from her hair to move down her pale neck and chest as he pulled away. She let out a small gasp as he palmed her right breast, brushing his thumb gently along the hardened nipple. 

“God…” He moaned, looking down at her with eyes that suddenly seemed full of lust as he repeated the motion. “You’re leaking…”

“It’s normal…” She replied, watching as he wiped the thick substance on his jeans, before cupping the swollen breast from underneath, keeping his touch light. 

“Does this hurt?” He asked, frowning. 

“Yes.” She admitted, meeting his gaze in a challenging stare. He gave her a squeeze, to which she groaned; her eyes briefly closing in a mix of pleasure of discomfort, before she opened them to observe him staring at her, watching a discoloured drop of liquid dribble from her nipple and down the centre of her breast. She thought, for a moment, he was going to capture it on his tongue, but he seemed to think better of it, instead straightening up to full height. 

“Turn around…” He commanded breathily with a low voice and she did as she was told, reaching for the table to steady herself as she felt him press against her back. He gestured to one of the chairs, tucked beneath the wooden frame. “Put your foot there…”

Inching forward, she silently pulled it out; the scraping sound of wood against wood filling the room as she dragged it towards her and, using his body to lean back on as he held her steady by the upper arms, raised her right leg to rest on the surface, spreading her legs for him. She felt him reach beneath her thigh as his fingers sought her clitoris, rubbing along her entire slit, before fixing on the little bud which twitched in response. 

“Fuck Tae…” She moaned loudly, closing her eyes as his other hand came to rest against her belly, fingers splaying across her marked skin. 

“Does this feel good?” He whispered, exploring through her folds and pulling back the little hood of skin which partially covered her nub; making direct contact with her most sensitive spot. “You’re so fucking wet…” He sighed breathily as he opened his lips against her exposed neck, kissing her passionately as she let out a series of strangled gasps. “Do you want my fingers inside?” 

She nodded desperately, arching her back as much as she could to thrust into his hand and meeting his index and middle finger as they probed her slick entrance before dipping inside. “Another?” He asked. 

“Yes…”

She felt a third digit join the others and he curled them inside her, reaching upwards with the pad of his thumb to flick her wet clit as the other roamed gently along the exaggerated curves of her body, smoothing his hand over her breasts, stomach and thighs. 

“You’re so sexy like this Cass…” He groaned against her, pressing the clothed proof of his arousal firmly against her backside. “So round and full… I love you so much…so much.” He almost sobbed against her bare shoulder, kissing her soft skin with open, moist lips as he fingered her frantically, massaging and fucking the soft, engorged pad of her g-spot until she whined in ecstasy. 

He let out another gasp as she soaked his digits; her orgasming consuming her body as it shook violently against him. He held her close, mouth open in amazement as the thin liquid sprinkled the wooden floorboards beneath her and the upholstery of the chair. He wished he could see her face properly as her breathing finally slowed, but had to settle on placing a soft kiss between her shoulder blades, the insides of his lips connecting with her skin which radiated with comforting heat. 

“Good girl.” He whispered. 

“It’s just the baby…” She managed to utter, her head lolling down as she doubled over in exhaustion. “He presses down…makes it easier…”

Slowly, he uncurled his arms from her body, making sure she was steady enough to stand on her own before letting go completely. “Are you okay?” He asked, his own voice just as rattled and hoarse as her own, the long drive he had made the evening before finally catching up with him. “Was I too hard?”

“No. You were gentle enough.” She shook her head and bent down, trying to reach her discarded robe with her fingertips, but failing, her bump getting in the way. Taehyung brushed past her and handed her it, watching as she slipped it on with a quiet thank you and knotted it loosely around herself before sitting down on the dampened seat. He looked around, wondering whether he should join her on the matching piece, but instead feeling himself drawn to the boxes which were strewn across the small apartment. 

“Were you moving?” He asked with a frown, finally realising. 

She looked up at him tiredly, resting her chin on her fist as she leaned lazily against the table. “I was thinking about it.”

“Back to Antwerp?” 

His question was met with silence, before she sighed. “I think you should go. You look like you could do with some sleep.”

Unwilling to let his suspicion drop, he pressed on, realising as he spoke that she was probably right; the bout of energy he had gained from the extended nap in the car was already beginning to wear off, making him irritated. “Can’t we talk about this? You’re seven months pregnant for heaven’s sake.”

He thought he saw her lip tremble, and prayed she wouldn’t start crying again. Instead, she was quiet for a long time, clearly thinking through what to say next. Eventually, she sat up in her chair, moving her hand away from the table. “I don’t think I can be with you.” She admitted quietly, eyes falling to her lap and the protruding, round mound which partially blocked it from view. He sensed the regret, and sympathy in her voice, but found himself shaking his head frustratedly. 

“What do you mean?” He asked, raising his voice. 

Her eyelids seemed heavy when she looked up at him, bottom lip protruding. “I think our baby would be better off if we weren’t together.” 

Opening and closing his mouth in disbelief, he shook his head. “He needs his father!” 

“I’m not saying that…” Shutting her eyes, as though battling a sudden migraine, she finished softly. “Please, Tae. I need you to go.” 

He watched her open them again, meeting his gaze across the room. 

“Do you have somewhere to stay? I know Ara’s back at her and Jimin’s place. A hotel or something?”

“You spoke to Ara too?” He challenged, eyebrows nestled deeply in his forehead. 

She shook her head. “Ji-eun told me. It doesn’t matter.” Sighing, she got slowly to her feet, resting both hands gently on her stomach. “I just need to know you have somewhere to go. Yoongi’s perhaps…”

He sighed, too exhausted to feel any warmth at her concern, but knowing it would do neither of them good to continue the argument. When he spoke again, his voice was controlled and much steadier than he felt, though his heart felt cracked and raw. He didn’t want to leave her like this, with so many questions unanswered. “I made a reservation at the Four Seasons…”

“That’s good.” She whispered, breathing a sigh of relief. The resignation in his tone was strangely familiar, but she felt the need to reassure him; whether it was pity or not was unclear to her. “We will talk about this soon, I promise.” Reaching up, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek which seemed to tingle as soon as she pulled away. 

“I hope so.” Taehyung replied, his bloodshot eyes meeting her own with intense honesty. For a moment, his gaze fell on the belly held protectively beneath her fingers, and with great strength, he seemed to draw it away to her pale face. “Goodbye Cass.”

She nodded numbly as he opened the door and watched him take a step out onto the landing “Goodbye Taehyung.” 

He pulled the door gently closed, and she waited for a few moments until the heavy footsteps faded away before twisting the lock with trembling fingers. Whilst she had known the child was his, the thought had been vague and unimportant…after all, she had sworn to herself that she would not go back to him. Walking back into the kitchen with a sigh, she eyed the now-cold bowl of porridge and scooped it messily into the garbage can, knowing that while she had only awoken a few hours before, she would soon be ready to curl under the sheets once more.

***


End file.
